Former President Yoon Suk-yeol was found guilty in the first trial for allegedly disseminating false information during the presidential election, reigniting attention on President Lee Jae Myung’s two cases under the Public Official Election Act involving false statements. The first case was overturned by the Supreme Court after an appellate court had initially ruled to invalidate his election. The second case, which was acquitted at the appellate level but later remanded by the Supreme Court for a guilty verdict, remains suspended.
The first case involved allegations that President Lee denied his involvement in his older brother’s forced hospitalization at a mental health facility during a 2018 Gyeonggi governor election debate. While the first trial acquitted him, the appellate court fined him 3 million Korean won—a penalty that could have stripped him of his governorship and eligibility for office. However, the Supreme Court’s full bench overturned the ruling in July 2020, stating that failing to disclose partial facts did not constitute active dissemination of falsehoods, leading to a final acquittal.
The second case pertains to statements made during the 2022 presidential election: claiming unfamiliarity with the late Kim Moon-ki, former head of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, and asserting that changes to the Baekhyeon-dong site’s purpose were due to pressure from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The first trial in November 2024 sentenced...
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol was found guilty in the first trial for allegedly disseminating false information during the presidential election, reigniting attention on President Lee Jae Myung’s...